Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.
Please put a penny in the old man’s hat.
If you haven’t got a penny then a ha’penny will do.
If you haven’t got a ha’penny then god bless you!

We went xmas decoration shopping today, so it’s clearly time to get the mincemeat done! After last year’s burnt slow cooker version, I’m going with a simply boozy one from BBC Good Food.

Whoah that’s a lot! Too much for the five Kilner jars we’ve got, so some will have to go in the fridge in a plastic box.

However I’ve also found an old-fashioned version that actually has minced meat in in. Soph is not keen (something about there being a reason it’s no longer made this way) but I’ve assured her I’m doing the boozy version as well :) I’ll be using this with an equally old-fashioned pastry recipe for mince pies.

It starts by boiling the beef mince and apple.

Then the liquid is strained off, before cooking in sugar, spices and brandy.

Finally mixed dried fruit, peel, lemon juice & zest, and suet are mixed in off the heat.

It then gets cooled before fridging.

I’m looking forward to trying it. Soph… not so much! :D